Gun Show
by peters.kitten
Summary: "Out of all the vamps in the world, I just had to run into a retarded one. And, really, sparkling vampires? So lame. Whats next-meowing werewolves?" What happens when a bored vampire meets a cynical human with nothing left to lose? Peter/Bella
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended. This applies to this chapter and all others that may follow. In short: I'm poor, please don't sue me.**

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**As you may already know, I live in Oklahoma. And, yes, I have been to a Gun Show. Sadly, Peterpire didn't turn up to rescue me so I was bored out of my skull. This story is the result of said boredom. Enjoy!**

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**Gun Show**

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**Peter's POV**

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I met my match at a gun show in Tulsa. I was simply passing through the state on my way to Minnesota when I happened upon the arms convention. Two Days Only, the signs announced. Over 4,100 tables set up. All in one enormous 11 acre air-conditioned and heated room.

Now this should all sound mundane and terribly uninteresting to a vampire, or any other sane creature for that matter. Am I correct? Yes. So why, you may ask, did I find myself standing here filled with an obscene amount of gleeful anticipation? The answer to that question could be summed up with one simple word: boredom.

When you've been on this Earth as long as I have, you're bound to tire of things after a while. Always eating the same ol' humans, living the same dull life, avoiding the same idiotic vampires-basically, the same-shit-different-day analogy. It all tends to blend together after a while and your left feeling that surely there should be something else out there. Something more.

Boredom should be considered a disease among vampires. It is surely the number one cause of death among our kind. If I had a human for every time I heard a near-death experience story begin with the words "Well, I was bored and it seemed like a good idea at the time..", I'd be...well, I'd still be fuckin' hungry because, I'll admit, I've never been a very sociable creature. Death, or undeath as some of my kind prefer, has only amplified that little quirk of mine.

That, however, is neither here nor there. I'm simply trying to illustrate my point that boredom is dangerous to my kind. It's basically the influenza of vampires and the older you are, the more likely you are to catch it. All vampires over a century in age are very suseptible to it, myself included. That is my only excuse for what I was planning to do.

One human male my size and $10 later, I was walking into the gun show sloshy-full and dressed in some spiffy new camo duds. For some reason I had the unexplainable urge to yell "I'm wearing camo, bitches, you can't see me now!" but, thankfully, refrained. I pride myself on control.

I slowly picked my way through the massive horde of people, grinning in amusement at the two feet of personal space that always surrounded me no matter how closely the other humans were packed together. What can I say- it's basic human instinct at its finest. I scanned the crowd, carefully watching for the perfect human specimens for my game. It wouldn't be called The Most Dangerous Game if it wasn't dangerous, now would it?

Now I am well aware that typically the game would consist of humans hunting humans. Meh. I hunt humans all the time and there is nothing at all dangerous about it. But if it were another vampire...well, that would change things up a bit, now wouldn't it. That is where this little arms convention comes into play. I figure I should be able to find at least one worthy specimen.

In all honesty, I've never created another vampire before. Destroyed them? Sure. But making them? That was always Jasper's job. I do have excellent self-control, though, so I'm not too worried about that aspect of it. My time in Maria's army made me an excellent fighter and taught me all there is to know about newborns, so for my game to actually present enough of a challenge for it to be interesting, I have to choose my subject, or subjects, carefully.

By this time, I had just about decided that I would start small by creating only one vampire to hunt. The way I see it, if my game does successfully alleviate some of my boredom, I will eventually want to play again. And if I decided to play again, there would have to be even more danger for me to find it interesting the second time around. But there I go, getting ahead of myself again.

I flinched slightly as I heard one of the pathetic male humans call out to a female. Charlotte. Why the fuck did that particular human woman have to be named Charlotte? Why the fuck did the male have to call out her name like he was screaming a fucking battle-cry? Why the fuck did they have to be here, at this particular gun show, at this exact time? As if I needed any more proof that fate hates me.

Hearing 'the name that shall not be named' brought on a whole slew of memories, and my incredibly huge vampire brain was all too happy to make me recall, in vivid fucking detail, my last moments with the woman I once believed to be my forever.

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_I stared into her guilt-ridden crimson eyes, feeling my own burn with venom that would never fall. Never did I, in my wildest dreams, imagine that we would come to this point. I glanced around the meadow, my eyes taking note of the shredded pieces of fabric that were once my lover's clothes. _

_My nose twitched in rebellion, still not quite believing the stench that hung heavy in the air, suffocating me. It was her own unique aroma drifting around the clearing, yes, but at the same time it was so very wrong because it was intertwined with another more potent musk. A male vampire's scent. _

_I felt like I had been staked. Seriously, a kitten could have taken me out at this point and I don't think I would have cared. My brain couldn't, wouldn't, comprehend what my nose and eyes were telling me. How could she be with another? After all that we had been through. Sure, we weren't technically a true 'mated couple' in the eyes of other vampires. But I loved her. I chose her. We had both chosen each other and agreed not to search for anyone else. _

_We had scoffed at the others; who were they to tell us that we weren't truly fated to be together. Just because we didn't have the so called 'soul connection' that supposedly marked a true mated couple. It didn't mean anything to us. We had chosen. I was hers. She was mine. End of fucking story. Or so I had thought._

_I numbly watched as an older dark-haired vampire walked up to my...nothing. My nothing. He walked up to his, for she so clearly was his, Charlotte and wrapped an arm around her. He was twitchy, constantly checking his surroundings as if the devil himself were after him. They were both naked as jay birds, reeking of sex and forest. _

_After a few seconds, I recognized the paranoid vampire. His name was Alistair and he was a tracker. While he wasn't nearly as precise and efficient as the Volturi's tracker Demetri, Alistair was unique in that he could track things with just a thought. He didn't have to meet the individual to be able to track them. He also wasn't limited to only being able to track specific individuals. He could simply think 'I want to find the nearest vampire to me' and he would feel an elusive pull toward what he was seeking._

_Jasper and Maria had spent countless hours drilling us with known facts about all the other gifted vampires that roamed this Earth. We had to be prepared for anything, and knowing thy enemy is a wonderful strategic advantage. This is how I also knew that Alistair was one of the most asocial creatures in existence. He would go well out of his way to avoid any type of communication with others of our kind. _

_I silently stood there, just fucking stood there, and listened as Alistair explained that he had become bored with his lonely existence and wanted a companion to spend eternity with. All he had to do then was simply think 'I want to find my mate' and just like that, he felt the pull that led him to my other half. Six fucking words was all it took to crumble my entire existence. Oh yeah, and a little bit of boredom._

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I shook my head, trying to shake off the memory that still fucking haunted me even after 113 years, although now it haunted me for a completely different reason than before.

I turned my attention back to the crowd around me and noticed a small brunette woman pushing her way through the mob. She was dressed in a simple red sundress, hair thrown up in a messy ponytail. I watched, intrigued, as she made her way through the sea of camo, pushing men out of her way left and right. Well, I think that's what she intended to do, anyway. What actually happened, was that the males noticed her efforts, gave her a condescending smile, and moved over to allow her passage. And then I heard her voice for the first time.

"Stupid fucking rednecks."

I smiled then, the first real smile to pass over my face in years, and set off to follow the captivating creature who provoked it.

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_**What do you think? Please review and let me know if you're interested in reading more =)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Wow! The response to this story so far has been wonderful. You all freakin' amaze me once again! I am truly humbled and I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well. Thank you all for your reviews/alerts/faves and thanks as always to Tobey for pre-reading all my shit for me =)**_

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**Peter POV**

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I decided to call the girl Betta, simply because she reminded me of a beautiful betta fish swimming in a sea of camo water. With her little red sundress, she called to me like a beacon. I felt as excited as a little kid in a pet store, and had to restrain myself from calling out "Mommy, mommy! I want that one! I want that one!"

So I followed my Betta, watching her as she scoped out the exhibits. What in the hell was she doing at a gun show anyway? Didn't she know that us gun show folk were a shady bunch? Was my little Betta mentally deficient? She sure seemed to have an agenda, though, I thought as she locked her gaze on the sleeziest looking seller of them all.

His booth was in one of the darker corners, not at all in the main well-lit area. He was at least three-hundred pounds, his beer belly protruding out and over his belt by quite a ways. He had long, black, greasy looking hair that was mostly hidden by a hat. His face was scruffy and unshaved, and I could see the food particles still stuck in his beard from his lunch.

"Racist bastard," Betta mumbled as she stared at him. Ahh, yes. He was wearing a shirt with a picture of a Rebel flag on it, and on his solid white hat were three single black letters. Betta was correct. Racist bastard, indeed.

She cocked her head to the side and continued to study him for another twenty-eight seconds. Then, to my extreme amusement, she pulled down on the front of that red sundress, exposing the top swell of her creamy little breasts. Not yet satisfied, she cupped those luscious globes and pushed them up until the very top of her black lace bra was peaking out from underneath the dress.

My cock was throbbing, fantasy after fantasy flashing through my mind all starring the captivating little human girl, as I shifted subtly to adjust myself. I forced myself to pay attention, almost losing it when she took a deep breath causing her lovely little tits to swell out. She frowned then, her whole body taking on an angry demeanor as she stomped her way over to the shady human's booth.

He watched, eyes glued to her heaving chest, as she made her way over to him. She leaned over the table and glanced at the guns he had for sale. She then looked up at him and scowled. He finally pulled his eyes away from her breast and looked up at her.

"Anythin' I can help ya with, doll?" he asked suggestively. Betta lost control of her face for a moment and showed her disgust, but quickly arranged her features into a sultry smile.

"What's the cheapest gun you have...stud?" I chuckled as she forced the last word out from between clenched teeth. The human, of course, didn't notice this, his eyes too busy staring at Betta's luscious little tits.

"Depends whatcha lookin' for. Whatcha gonna do wit' it?" he asked, smiling broadly and showing his blackened teeth. Well, the ones that he had left, anyway.

"Nothing you need to worry your...big, strong self about. Plausible deniability and all that," she said, throwing in a wink for good measure. I chuckled. What the hell was she playing at?

He started naming off gun specs and Betta just stood there looking lost for a second. She snapped out of it, shaking her head as if to clear it.

"What can I get for $51.63?" she asked, cutting the male off mid-sentence. He laughed.

"A box of ammo? Lunch for two over at the concession stand? Sure as hell not a gun, baby," he told her through his laughter. She looked like she wanted to slap his dumb-ass for a moment before she composed herself .

Now at this point, I suppose the gentlemanly thing for me to do would have been to see if she needed some money. However, I've never proclaimed to be a gentleman and I was simply too fuckin' amused with the trainwreck to try and stop it. I wanted to see what Betta would do next. And let me tell you, I sure as shit wasn't disappointed.

"B-but I need one," Betta exclaimed loudly, making her eyes go all wide. "I made a huge mistake."

"What kinda mistake did ya make, babydoll," he asked, really fuckin' interested now.

"I gave myself to a boy," she said quietly, her bottom lip trembling. "And then he cheated on me."

"What's that got ta do wit' me sellin' you a gun?" His eyes gleamed, telling me he already knew the answer.

"I'm a gonna kill 'em both," Betta said in a menacingly soft voice. Now I had already started chuckling at her horrible attempt at an accent, but her next words caused me to erupt into full blown laughter. "Him and my momma."

"Ya momma?" the human male choked out between laughs. "Your boyfriend cheated on ya with ya momma?"

The human girl's eyes welled up with tears as she nodded her head sadly.

"W-when I caught them," she sobbed out, tears now rolling down her face. She drew in a deep gasping breath and continued.

"When I caught them, he asked if I wanted to join in," she wailed. The male had managed to stop laughing, as had I, but this statement brought on another round to us both. What the fuck was this little Betta playin' at?

"It's not funny, you asshole. He broke my heart!"

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "Really, I am. But I can't help ya little lady. My cheapest pistol sells for $150. I paid more than fifty bucks for 'em myself."

"But it's all I have," she wailed. "I just wanna shoot his betraying balls off. I should've listened to my Pa when he said never to trust his black ass."

The big male's laughter immediately cut off and he got an evil glint in his eyes. He stared down at a now bawling Betta and shook his head slowly. I stared in disbelief as he picked up a gun and loaded it full of bullets, before slowly holding it out to Betta. I grinned. I couldn't believe it. Betta had played his ass like a damn violin.

"Well, just maybe I can help ya out. Now I'm goin' ta havta report that stolen on Monday," he warned her quietly, nodding at the small gun that was now being gripped tightly by my little Betta's hands.

"It'll never be found," she promised him, wiping her tears and beaming up at him. "The bayou tends to make things disappear."

"Damn straight it does," he laughed. Betta thanked him profusely, throwing the money down and turning to leave when his attention was occupied by other potential customers.

She headed for the door and was almost there when she stopped suddenly. She turned in my direction and stared directly at me as I leaned against the wall. Her heartbeat picked up and her face flushed red in a yummy blush as she stared into my crimson eyes. I was shocked, but I was also still fuckin' amused and I'm sure it showed on my face.

Betta huffed and stomped her foot like a two-year-old causing me to grin even wider. She made a noise low in her throat that I think was supposed to a growl and I couldn't contain my laughter anymore. Her face turned even redder and she stomped her way over to me, smirking when my laughter stopped and my face contorted in shock.

And then, then she _poked_ me. She just reached out and fuckin' poked me in the chest with her middle finger. I stared at her in wonder. This human had approached me on her own. She was actually _touching_ me. No self-preservation, this one.

"I hope you enjoyed that. Dinner and a show, is that it? Why couldn't you have shown yourself just ten minutes earlier, hmm? Was that too fucking much to ask? It would have spared me from having to beg that racist son-of-a-bitch for a gun, not to mention saved me the last of my money. Asshole."

She was the hottest damn thing that I'd ever seen. She just walked right up to me and poked me in the fuckin' chest as she laid into me. And fuck it all if there wasn't a part of me, a very hard part, that wanted to return the poke.

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_**So Betta's a lil' bit crazy...did you honestly expect anything else from me? Poke me with a review and I promise I'll make it good for you!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you all for all the wonderful reviews. I tried to respond to them all, but amberosia1 and snowangel77, you have your PMs turned off! But, yeah, you gals (and Dan) are all so friggin' awesome! As always, special thanks to my wifey for all her wonderful help!**_

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_**This story is set during New Moon, about eight months after Edward's departure. Just thought I'd clear that up for ya =)**_

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_~Previously~_

_Betta huffed and stomped her foot like a two-year-old causing me to grin even wider. She made a noise low in her throat that I think was supposed to a growl and I couldn't contain my laughter anymore. Her face turned even redder and she stomped her way over to me, smirking when my laughter stopped and my face contorted in shock._

_And then, then she poked me. She just reached out and fuckin' poked me in the chest with her middle finger. I stared at her in wonder. This human had approached me on her own. She was actually touching me. No self-preservation, this one._

_"I hope you enjoyed that. Dinner and a show, is that it? Why couldn't you have shown yourself just ten minutes earlier, hmm? Was that too fucking much to ask? It would have spared me from having to beg that racist son-of-a-bitch for a gun, not to mention saved me the last of my money. Asshole."_

_She was the hottest damn thing that I'd ever seen. She just walked right up to me and poked me in the fuckin' chest as she laid into me. And fuck it all if there wasn't a part of me, a very hard part, that wanted to return the poke._

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Peter POV

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I just stood there, staring at her in wonder. After two minutes and thirteen seconds, she sighed and grabbed my hand.

"Out of all the vampires in the world, I have to run into a mentally retarded one," she mumbled as she led me toward the door. My head snapped up in shock, and I stared intently at the back of her head as she drug me outside. How the hell did she know what I was?

"At least it's cloudy," she muttered, looking up at the sky. "Couldn't have you disco-stickin' it, now could we? By the way, that's really fucking lame. Sparkling vampires? What's next-meowing werewolves? Now that, I would enjoy," she laughed softly as she dragged me into the woods surrounding the parking lot.

"Okay, we're here. Let's get this over with. Bite me," she said, cocking her head to the side and exposing her neck.

"No," I said aghast, finally snapping out of my stupor and pulling my hand from hers. Her eyes widened and then narrowed at me.

"So you _can_ talk? Great. Well, do what you vampires do best and eat me then. Look, I'll even show you where," she said, tapping her fingers against a throbbing vein in her neck.

"No," I repeated firmly. "I will not. And I resent you calling me retarded. I assure you, my mental state is not deficient. Yours, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired."

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at me in shock for a few moments. And then she started laughing.

"Seriously?" she choked out through her laughter. "If you go around saying things like 'my mental state is not deficient', you'll probably get locked up in a looney-bin. Damn stupid-smart vampires."

"That statement made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Why, may I ask, did you drag me out here?" I questioned, looking around the secluded spot that we had stopped at. She sighed, loudly.

"Stupid, idiotic vampire," she muttered. "Do you need an instruction booklet now? Do I need to draw an arrow and have 'bite here' tattooed over my neck? You are supposed to sink those big ol' chompers of yours into my flesh and drink. You know, suck my blood? Slurp me up like a juice box?"

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Well you do smell good enough to eat. I think I'll pass, however." Her scent was indeed lovely. Although, there was something...off about it.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "You'll pass? You will fucking _pass_? What, am I not good enough to kill now, is that it? Are your standards higher than the likes of little ol' me?"

"No," I assured her. "I simply find you amusing. Would you eat the first thing that held your attention in over a century? No, didn't think so."

"So...you don't want to eat me because I amuse you?" she asked slowly. I smiled, widely.

"Yes," I told her seriously. She snorted.

"Well, I hate to burst your little bubble, but I'm dying. I'm afraid I won't be much amusement to you, after all." And she was dying. I knew, because at that moment I realized why her scent smelled off. She was sick. Very sick.

"Come home with me," I found myself saying. Her eyes looked like they were trying to bulge out of her head. I shrugged, trying to play it off as if it wasn't a big deal.

"What do you really have to lose?" I shrugged and then added, "I can always eat you later."

"I don't have shit else to do," she finally agreed, six minutes and eight seconds later. She looked up at me and smiled. "You're really very weird."

"Says the human who poked the vampire," I chuckled.

"Yeah, that was pretty stupid, wasn't it? Almost as stupid as when the human called the vampire retarded," she answered with a grin. I grinned back at her. My eternity was suddenly looking much brighter.

"So, what was with the show earlier?" I asked her as we started walking back towards the parking lot.

"I needed a gun and I only had fifty dollars left," she said with a shrug.

"And why did you feel you needed a gun?" I spoke softly, already knowing the answer but dreading it anyway.

"To shoot myself. I have cancer, vampboy. I'm already dying. I simply planned to speed things along a bit. Plus, I ran out of pain pills earlier today. I'm gonna be a miserable bitch in a few hours."

"I can get you pain pills," I said absently as I dug in the pockets of my borrowed camo pants.

"Oh, and my truck broke down about half a mile from here," Betta said offhandedly. I looked down at her.

"No shit?"

"No shit." She grinned. "I actually laughed as I drove past the Gun Show sign. And then my truck died a few minutes later and I figured it was fate."

"Maybe it was," I said softly. She let out a humorless laugh and looked away.

I found the keys I had been looking for and started pressing the panic button. Not hearing anything, I turned the opposite direction and tried again.

"What are you doing?" Betta asked, watching me curiously.

"Looking for my vehicle. It should be a newer blue Chevy truck," I told her, turning once again.

"Should be?" she asked dubiously.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's what my lunch drove here. I wasn't really paying that much attention, though. I was paying more attention to his size and clothing," I said, grinning widely at her, showing her my teeth.

"I'm so not gonna ask," she mumbled, shaking her head. We both turned at the same time, our eyes finding the truck as the alarm blared out. I pushed the button again, silencing it, as Betta followed me to the passenger side. I unlocked it and we climbed in.

"So, Betta, what kind of meds do you need?" I asked, starting the truck and heading out towards town.

"Betta?" she asked with a snort. "You've already nicknamed me after a fucking fish?"

"I like Bettas," I murmured softly. "And I like you. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," she whispered after a couple minutes. "Nothing at all."

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_**So Peter likes Bettas...anyone else wish they were a fish right now? Nah, me neither, lol. **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you all for all the fuckawesome reviews, alerts, favorites, and story rec's! Y'all are seriously wonderful! Special thanks to my wifey for her undying support. I loves ya, hard! Oh, and Ashmerlin has requested that I put up a no food/drinks warning while reading this story. Apparently it's a choking hazard, lol!**_

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_**For those of you who read MDW as well, just wanted to let ya know that the next chapter is in the works and will hopefully be finished sometime next week =)**_

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**Peter POV**

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We had been driving for a couple hours now. I had already slipped into a pharmacy and picked up the dope Betta needed, as well as a few extras that might be beneficial later on. And, yes, I did grab a couple bottles of sleeping pills. I knew absolutely fuck-all about dealing with humans.

At least now if she ever got too hysterical on me, I had back up in the form of a ...butterfly. Seriously, what human came up with that shit? A butterfly as a campaign for sleeping pills-whats next, a picture of a cat on tuna fish cans? Yeah. Human logic at its finest.

The silence was starting to get to me, so I decided to ask the second most important question that had been burning on my mind. My first choice, how the fuck do you know about vampires, should probably be saved for later, I decided.

"If you know you're going to die soon anyway, then why kill yourself? Why not enjoy the little bit of time that you have left?" I asked her.

"Do I look like I'm enjoying myself to you? I mean, hello, you met me at a gun show. Buying a gun. To shoot myself. I asked you to eat me, for fucks sake. Tell me, what exactly was it that made you believe I was enjoying myself?" she shrieked at me.

"I'm just trying to understand you," I told her calmly, trying to hide my amusement.

"Trying to understand me? You know nothing about me. You have no idea the hell my life has been."

"So tell me. What do you have to lose? You're going to die anyway. Don't you want someone to know what happened? Don't you want someone to remember you when you pass?"

"There's no one left that cares," she whispered, shaking her head.

"I do," I told her, surprising myself when I realized that it was the truth. "I want to know, Betta."

"Why?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously. "And my name's Bella, actually."

"I'm Peter. And, really, why not?" I retorted. "I find myself wishing to know you, _Bella_, if for nothing more than to alleviate my boredom."

"I'm so glad you find me entertaining. I live to please," she replied dryly.

"That could be arranged," I found myself saying. "You pleasing me, I mean."

Her eyes widened slightly and her whole face exploded into a beautiful blush. I was already at half-mast due to the conversation, and smelling her delicious blood rising so close to the surface only intensified the tightness of my jeans. She didn't acknowledge my comment at all, other than the blush of course.

"Seriously, what do I get out of the deal? You get dinner and a show, I get..." she trailed off, making a circular gesture with her hand to tell me she was waiting for my answer.

"You get to know that someone will remember you. Even if it is just a reclusive vampire."

She didn't look convinced in the least. I thought hard and smiled as I recalled her comment about spending the last of her money. "I can pay you."

"Yeah, dipshit, that's real smart. I won't need money where I'm going."

"That isn't what I meant. What I meant was that you could live comfortably with me until our dinner date, whenever that may be. You could have whatever you wanted, no matter how ridiculous; go out in style."

"What if I spend all your money? What if I want to buy...the McDonalds franchise? Hmm? You have enough money for that?" she asked, fighting a grin. I shrugged.

"If I run out of money, which is highly unlikely by the way, then I will just eat someone rich," I answered before I thought about it. She surprised me by laughing, long and loud.

"Yeah, I can so see you doing that," she chuckled.

"Rich people taste better, anyway. I have my theories on why, number two being the better quality of food they consume," I said as I slowly licked my lips. Bella's eyes tracked the movement as her cheeks colored pink.

"No doubt," she murmured. "What's theory number one?"

"Theory number one, and this is my favorite, is that they really don't taste any better at all. It just gives me a certain sense of delight, munching on someone after they utter the words 'Do you know who I am'. I like the sensation of cutting them down to size, letting them see that they aren't the biggest predator out there and that no amount of money can save them from their fate. I think the added satisfaction makes me believe that they taste better."

"I take it that you weren't rich as a human," she said with a chuckle. We rode in silence for a few minutes before she cocked her head to the side and looked at me critically.

"Why do you want this? Want me?" she suddenly asked. I felt compelled to tell her the truth.

"The truth? I'm lonely and bored, Bella. In the past 108 years, I have spoken to only one other of my kind, and that was well over 50 years ago. And it was only a ten minute conversation!"

I sighed heavily, suddenly feeling the weight of my loneliness bearing down upon me. I had dwelled enough over my family's betrayal. I had come to terms with it and forgiven them both...mostly, anyway. I was finally over my bitterness and wished them both nothing but happiness. Sure, it took me over a century to achieve, but, hell, I never claimed to be a saint. That forgive and forget shit is much harder than it sounds.

Yes, it was well past time for me to move on with my existence. I knew that little fact years ago, but was never quite sure what to do to move on. Betta seemed a very good place to start. Much better than my idea of 'The Most Dangerous Game: Revamped.' I really didn't think that one through, I thought, shaking my head.

Bella had been staring at me for the last four minutes and fifty-six seconds. I'll admit, it was startin' to make me just a little bit twitchy. Not for the first time, I wondered what was going through her mind. She finally gave a nod, more to herself than me, and seemed to reach a decision.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You want me to stay with you, live with you even, until you decide it's chow-time? And you want me to do this because you're lonely and bored?" she asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief. I nodded.

"Eternity is a long time to spend alone. I very recently decided to take what joy I can find from it. And right now, I find myself enjoying your company. As for our dinner date, how about we start with a one week trial basis? If you find yourself still wanting me to 'slurp you up like a juice box', as you so eloquently put it, then I will honor your decision."

"And if I don't?" she asked slowly. I smiled at her.

"Then I'll ask you again in another week." She thought about it for only six seconds before nodding her head in approval.

"Right. Okay, so you want me to keep you company, keep you entertained, and tell you my entire life story? And in return, I get the satisfaction of knowing that someone will remember me when I'm gone. Oh, and your credit card. Can't forget the plastic, now can we?" she teased, smiling at me.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," I said softly, grinning back at her.

"I have a condition," she informed me about fifteen minutes later. I glanced over at her and frowned. A condition? That couldn't be good.

"What...condition?" I asked cautiously. She looked at me and laughed.

"It's not that bad...well, not really. It's just...if I have to tell you my life story, it's only fair that I get to hear yours, too. Right?" She shifted nervously, biting down on her plump bottom lip.

"Right," I agreed softly. "You're absolutely right." She smiled at me, reaching over to lightly lay her hand on my arm. I swear I felt my non-beating heart skip a fucking beat.

And that is when I knew for sure that I was completely and utterly fucked. Because I wanted to keep her...for always.

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_For those of you who have repeatedly asked me to, I have finally gotten a twitter account. Follow me if you like at **PetersKitten**_

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_Next chapter we will learn part of Peter's story...leave me a review and I'll send you a teaser!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Sorry for the longer than usual wait, but my littlest child is sick and running a high fever. **_

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**Peter POV**

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"Does that sign say..." Betta trailed off, an astonished look on her face. I smirked.

"Yes," I answered smugly. "It does."

"Welcome to Climax Springs, Missouri," she read aloud. She smiled and turned back to me. "Peter, why are we in Climax Springs?"

"I left my truck parked here. I own a storage facility on the outskirts of town. We need to ditch the truck we're in and I was planning on picking my truck up from here anyway." Betta simply snorted and nodded her head.

"You didn't," she groaned as we pulled into the parking lot of my storage units. I grinned.

"I did." We both stared up at the bright red letters on the big sign. "Eternal Peak was one of the first businesses that I acquired. Doesn't make much money, but it's still one of my favorites."

"That figures," she laughed. "Do I even want to know the names of your other businesses?"

"Probably not," I told her with a chuckle.

~~~.~~~

"When did you become a vampire?"

We were on the main highway, once again making our way towards my cabin. Having ditched the stolen truck, we were now traveling in my trusty Silverado.

"Jasper changed me in 1876," I told her quietly. Thinking about my sire still hurt, badly.

Betta gasped, throwing her hands up to cover her mouth. She just stared at me, shock covering her face, for forty-four seconds, not speaking a word. I finally broke the silence with my chuckle.

"In vampire years, it's really not _that_ old," I said through my laughter. "Although, I can see how it would be a shock to a human."

"I-It's not that," she stuttered out. I waited for her to elaborate, but she just continued to stare at her hands.

"You think I'm a dirty old man, is that it?" I teased. Her cheeks tinged pink in a lovely blush and I smirked. Bella saw my smirk and scowled at me. Eyes like a hawk, that girl. She studied me for a few moments before giving me a wicked grin of her own.

"That explains it," she said sweetly. I eyed her cautiously. Where was she going with this?

"Explains what?" I finally asked, my curiosity getting the better of me after only twenty-one seconds.

"Why you're...different. You're gay. Is Jasper your mate? Do I get to meet him soon?"

"I'm not gay!" I roared at her, offended. I had absolutely nothing against gay people whatsoever, but that didn't mean that I liked to be accused of dipping my wick in the cornhole. "I am not a butt pirate!"

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," Betta replied with a big ass grin. I just growled in response. I was not a closet queen, dammit! Just as I was about to open my mouth to protest, she started humming, loudly. It was so fuckin' random that I just stared at her for fifty-four seconds before I finally realized what song she was humming.

"Betta, why the fuck are you humming Inspector Gadget?" She just laughed and kept on. Just when I was about to fuckin' go crazy from the shit, she spoke.

"Duh, duh, duh, duh-duh, Inspector Faggot!" Oh. No. She. Didn't. I had the sudden urge to snap my fingers at her and then tell her to talk to the hand...so I did. And she laughed that cute little fucking laugh and it was all so worth it.

"Seriously, though," I said when she calmed some, "Jasper is...was like a brother to me. Definitely not my midnight cowboy!" Betta stopped laughing and turned to watch me with a slightly sad expression on her face.

"Was? What happened?" she asked softly. I must not have hid my pain as well as I'd first thought.

"It's a long story," I told her, not meeting her eyes. She reached over and laid that same fuckin' warm hand on my arm and started rubbing back and forth.

"It's okay. I understand all about long stories," she whispered. If she had demanded answers or even just reminded me of our little agreement, I could have kept my mouth shut. But she had to go and be all understanding and speak in that soft beautiful voice of hers. I was lost.

"I was turned in 1876 by one, Jasper Whitlock. I don't remember much about my human life, only a few foggy, random memories here and there. I was _not_ changed to be a peter-puffer," I told her and was rewarded with her laughter.

"I was actually changed during the newborn wars. Basically, a crazy cunt named Maria kept up an army of newborns, newly turned vampires, to fight for feeding territory. Jasper had been changed by her years earlier and was in charge of keeping the newborns in control. I was actually supposed to just be his meal, but for some reason he decided to change me instead."

"Why would the newborns fight for Maria? Wouldn't they get sick of it and just leave? Is that what you did?" Bella asked slowly.

"Newly turned vampires are...volatile. They are little more than mindless savages who live for the thirst. After battles, Maria would reward the newborns with fresh blood...well, the ones who survived, anyway. As a rule, most newborns involved in the newborn wars didn't make it past a few months old. Between the continuous fighting for feeding territory, and the constant fighting amongst themselves, most of them never saw six months of age."

"But you did," Bella stated quietly.

"Yes, I did," I chuckled humorously. "Maria's army was different than most. You see, she had Jasper on her side. The turnover in her army was actually so low that a lot of times newborns had to be culled when their strength started to wane." I glanced over at her and saw that her face was scrunched up in confusion. I wasn't doing a very good job of explainin' this shit.

"Newborns are stronger than older vampires for the first year after they are turned. After the one year mark, their strength starts to wane until they are no longer stronger than other, older vampires. That was about the time that they lost their usefulness. They were culled, and new vampires were created to take their place. I fought hard and impressed Jasper, so he asked Maria to let me live. She agreed and I was eventually put in charge of babysitting the other newborns."

"That still doesn't explain why having Jasper on her side helped Maria so much," Bella said, staring at me intently.

"Some vampires have different abilities." Bella nodded her head curtly in agreement. She had already known that. Interesting. "Jasper was, is, an empath. He could feel and manipulate other's emotions, including the volatile newborns. With Jasper's help, Maria's army was both larger and better trained than most others."

I had noticed that my Betta's heart-rate had been steadily increasing throughout my tale. With my last few sentences, it practically exploded. What the hell?

"Betta, you okay?" I asked frantically. Had I scared her? Had she finally realized that she was riding across the country with a strange vampire? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around her knees tightly.

"Later," she murmured quietly, still trying to calm herself down. "I'll explain later."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me, and we drove in silence for thirty six minutes before she spoke again.

"I'm sorry. It's just a lot to take in," she whispered, not meeting my eyes. "So, you were a soldier in the newborn wars. How did you get away from it all?"

"When I was a little over three years turned, Maria brought a new batch of newborns in. There was a newborn who caught my attention. She was a lot more civilized than the other newborns, and I enjoyed spending time with her. I...I grew to love her," I said quietly.

I froze in shock when I felt Bella's warm little hand rubbing up and down my arm again. I glanced over at her and gave her a small smile.

"What happened next?" she prompted softly. I sighed.

"A year came and went, and suddenly it was time to purge again. I tried to tell Jasper that some of the batch had potential and should be kept, but he told me that Maria had already ordered them all to be destroyed.

"One of my jobs was helping Jasper dispose of the newborns. They were nothing but pawns to us, really, and disposing of them had never really bothered me before...until it was Charlotte's turn.

"When Jasper called her name, I was so fuckin' scared. I became furious at the whole fucked up situation. I yelled for Charlotte to run and I took off after her. Jasper could have easily caught us and killed us both...but he didn't. I'm sure Maria was pissed about that.."

"What happened to him, Jasper I mean?" Bella asked, breaking me from my memories. I tried to smile at her but wasn't quite sure that I pulled it off.

"I went back for him about five years later. Char and I had lived the entire time without being in a single fight. We had even met others of our kind, but they mostly left us alone. Even those who did approach us only wanted to talk.

"Char and I argued for months about it; she didn't want to go back for Jasper, but I did. Eventually, I won. Even so, Char still refused to go with me, so I went alone. I snuck into Maria's territory and settled down to wait.

"It took three days before I caught Jasper alone. One long conversation later and we were gone, neither of us looking back. Jasper later told me that I had picked the perfect time to return for him. Maria had begun plotting against him and he wasn't looking forward to killing his only companion."

"How could he consider her his companion? She ended his human life and made him fight and kill for her!" Bella exclaimed, outraged. I chuckled. I had asked Jasper the same exact question.

"I asked him that once, you know. He told me that as fucked up as it was, he had considered her his only ally, the core of his existence. He had never known anything but her in his vampire life, and they had been together for decades. She was the only constant person in his life at that point, simply because no one else lasted very long."

"That is psychotic. Do you feel that way too?" Bella asked with a very unlady-like snort. It made me grin.

"No, I don't," I told her honestly. "I would kill the bitch if the chance ever arose."

"Good," she huffed. "So would I."

I hid a grin. My little Betta was a feisty one.

"So what happened next?" Bella asked after a few minutes. I cringed inside, but answered her anyway.

"We all traveled together and for a few years, it was good. After a while, though, Jasper started to get even more depressed than he had been. It was me who finally figured out that the depression worsened after he fed.

"As I told you earlier, Jasper is an empath. That means that he could feel the emotions of every single human that he fed from. It got to be too much for him and he decided to wonder off on his own for a while. I haven't seen him since." And I hadn't, that much was true.

"So you don't know where he is?" she asked slowly. I grimaced.

"I know who he's with and that he's happy. Just knowing that is enough for me." Bella must have registered the hard tone that had crept into my voice, because she ceased her line of Jasper questioning.

"What about Charlotte? What happened to her?" I growled softly and almost, just fuckin' almost, told her to shut up. I didn't want to talk anymore. But her hand, that damn little hand of hers, was still caressing my arm softly and I soon found the words flowing from my mouth unchecked.

"Two years after Jasper left, I came back from feeding to find Charlotte and another vampire together in the woods. They were both naked and reeked of sex. His name was Alistair and he had a special ability that allowed him to find his mate...who just happened to be my Charlotte. Two minutes later he left, taking my whole reason for living away with him." I laughed bitterly.

"You should have seen it; she was so fucking happy that she was giddy. Me, I was torn between wanting to kill them both or fallin' to my knees and begging her not to leave me. Thankfully, I did neither, but not from lack of wanting to, I assure you."

"Oh damn," Bella whispered, squeezing my arm in sympathy. "That sucks."

"Yeah, it did," I chuckled. "At the time, anyway. I've come to realize that me and Char weren't really that great together, after all. Besides, that was well over a century ago. I've had plenty of time to come to terms with it."

"So time really does heal all wounds?" she asked softly, watching me intently. I knew that my answer would be important to her for some reason.

"It certainly helps," I said slowly, gathering my thoughts. "It took me many years and my own special brand of...counseling, but I can truly say that I am over Charlotte. What Jasper did to me after Charlotte left, however...well, let's just say that some wounds cut deeper than others."

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_**Next chapter will explain what our dear ol' Jasper did to our poor, poor Peter. As always, I'd love to hear what you think about the chapter :-)**_


	6. Chapter 6

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_**~Previously~**_

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_"What about Charlotte? What happened to her?" I growled softly and almost, just fuckin' almost, told her to shut up. I didn't want to talk anymore. But her hand, that damn little hand of hers, was still caressing my arm softly and I soon found the words flowing from my mouth unchecked._

_"Two years after Jasper left, I came back from feeding to find Charlotte and another vampire together in the woods. They were both naked and reeked of sex. His name was Alistair and he had a special ability that allowed him to find his mate...who just happened to be my Charlotte. Two minutes later he left, taking my whole reason for living away with him." I laughed bitterly._

_"You should have seen it; she was so fucking happy that she was giddy. Me, I was torn between wanting to kill them both or fallin' to my knees and begging her not to leave me. Thankfully, I did neither, but not from lack of wanting to, I assure you."_

_"Oh damn," Bella whispered, squeezing my arm in sympathy. "That sucks."_

_"Yeah, it did," I chuckled. "At the time, anyway. I've come to realize that me and Char weren't really that great together, after all. Besides, that was well over a century ago. I've had plenty of time to come to terms with it."_

_"So time really does heal all wounds?" she asked softly, watching me intently. I knew that my answer would be important to her for some reason._

_"It certainly helps," I said slowly, gathering my thoughts. "It took me many years and my own special brand of...counseling, but I can truly say that I am over Charlotte. What Jasper did to me after Charlotte left, however...well, let's just say that some wounds cut deeper than others."_

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Peter POV

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"What do you mean by that? I thought you said that you hadn't seen Jasper since he wondered off on his own?" I snickered. Leave it to my Betta to make one of the world's most feared vampires sound like a lost little puppy that had just fuckin' wondered off from its owners.

"I haven't...but not from lack of trying," I admitted. Bella cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Do you really want to hear this? It's not a very pretty story, Betta," I murmured.

She snorted which, again, made me smile. "None of your stories so far have been pretty, Peter. Hey, I like that- Pretty Peter. I should so call you that, because you are pretty...and you're Peter."

"Don't even think about it," I growled, trying my damnedest to hide my smile. No one had ever called me pretty before. I found myself liking it...which made me wonder if my man-card was in question. Bella grinned at me.

"So...what's different about this story, Pretty Peter? Because, yeah...you didn't even hesitate to tell me about the newborn wars, even if you did edit quite a bit." Mind like a steel trap, that girl.

"I'm not proud of most of the things I've done since I became a vampire, but I hit a particularly bad time after Char left me. I don't like to think about it much. I was very...pathetic, for a while. I'm really quite ashamed of it..." I trailed off, thinking of just how fuckin' pathetic I'd become there for a while.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me right now," my human girl murmured to me. But I did have to tell her, because I found myself wanting her to know me, all of me. The good and the bad. And fuck-it-all if there wasn't a whole lot of bad.

"I want you to know," I said softly. I gave her a small smile, and let the bitter memories wash over me as I told her about my life after heartbreak.

~~~.~~~

After Charlotte left me, I scoured the world, desperately trying to find the only other vampire I considered my family. I knew that when Jasper had parted ways with us the previous year, he was severely depressed. The absolute last thing he needed was me adding to his emotional load, but still I searched. I was just so fucking wounded and all I could focus on was finding my brother, my maker, my friend. The only creature in existence that I could trust; Jasper.

I looked everywhere for him, spent 5 full years doing nothing but searching. Only to be crushed in the end. It became apparent that Jasper was intentionally avoiding me. The signs were there all along; the wary and guarded looks I received when I asked other nomads about him, how I narrowly missed him time and time again, how he always seemed to go places that were near impossible to track by scent.

Still, I never gave up. I was a pitiful mess and I couldn't find it in myself to care. It was on the five year anniversary of Charlotte's departure, that I found the note. It was another of those near misses; Jasper had left in a hurry only hours before I arrived. This time, however, he made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to be followed. The note was scratched deeply into the bark of the only tree left standing for a half mile radius. There was no way that I could possibly have missed it, although a part of me, to this day, still wishes that I had.

_Peter,_

_I am truly sorry about Charlotte. I know you have been seeking me, however I am not in the right frame of mind at this time to be of any help to you. I am deeply sorry about this._

_Jasper_

And that was that. I was truly alone in the world for the first time. In Maria's army, there were always other vampires around. Sure, they may try to bite your head off, quite literally, I might add, but still, I was never alone. When Char and I left, we openly avoided other vampires and sought the peace that Maria's army never allowed.

When I went back five years later and brought Jasper back to us, I truly considered him a part of my family. With experience firmly on our side when we encountered other vampires, we allowed ourselves to mingle, but never made more than the casual acquaintance. Maria's training was still embedded within us, after all. That left me with no one but myself when it all came crashing down.

Although it had been five years since she left, I still hadn't mourned Chars loss. I had focused all my energy into finding Jasper, and pushed everything else to the back of my mind. As I stood staring at that damn tree, I was suddenly hit with the loss of the only two people in this existence that mattered to me. At that moment, I decided that I didn't want to be seen or found by anyone. I simply wanted to lick my wounds in peace.

So that was what I did. I spent the next few years in hiding, starving myself until I absolutely couldn't wait any longer. Time went on, as it always does, and I started to slowly recover enough to function more efficiently. For the next few decades, I allowed myself to be bitter. I fed exclusively on women who resembled Charlotte in one aspect or another, and took great pleasure in watching the light fade from their terrified eyes.

I slowly came to forgive her, finally satisfied with my progress when I could honestly say that I wished nothing but the best for her. I even adjusted my eating habits accordingly. I began to feed solely on the human scum of society. I was still struggling to make peace with myself and get over what I saw as Jasper's betrayal. I was making fairly good progress with it, too, until I ran across Randall, one of the vampires that I had hounded for information about Jasper so many years before.

It was 1956, which meant that it had been 58 years since I had seen or spoken with another of my kind. I'm positive that my little quirk helped with that. Now some vampires are gifted, and some are not. Me, I consider myself somewhere in-between; a mutt, if you will. I have no real gift to speak of, but I'm not exactly average either. I have no scent. Nada. Zero. Zilch. Makes me a stealthy motherfucker, for sure.

Surprisingly, I found myself actually enjoying the interaction with Randall...until the conversation switched to Jasper. Randall told me all about how happy he was now and that he had found his mate eight years ago. Then he went on to tell me all about how they had met up with Carlisle Cullen and become a part of his strange little family of forest munchers. I left quickly after that.

It shames me to even admit that I considered hunting humans who reminded me of Jasper. I even found the perfect one down in Texas. I had him pushed face-first against an alley wall, my teeth resting against the throbbing vein of his warm neck-and I just couldn't fucking do it. I still cared for Jasper too much to disrespect him like that. So the human went free, and I ended up snacking on a junkie five allies over. Yum.

~~~.~~~

I shook my head, trying to shake off the feelings that came with the memories. I glanced at Bella and saw that she was staring at me in rapt attention. I had expected to see pity in her eyes, but, thankfully, there was none. Amazingly, what I saw was understanding and compassion. Made me wonder just what the hell she had been through in her short human life.

"What did you do after that?" she asked softly after a few minutes had passed.

"I spent the next fifty years just drifting, avoiding all others of my kind. I focused all my attention on building up my human wealth. I was tired of just roaming around and decided it was time to settle down somewhere for a few years. I bought some land up in Minnesota last year and had a cabin built there. That's where I was heading when I saw the signs for the gun show. That's where we're going now."

I hid a grimace, hoping she didn't ask me why I decided to stop at the gun show in the first place. I wasn't quite ready to admit to that bout of stupidity just yet. She opened her mouth and then shut it, for some reason deciding against asking me any more questions.

"It's okay, you know? You don't have to tell me anything else right now. Thank you for sharing all that you did with me," she said softly, letting her warm little hand rest against my own cool arm once again. She smiled at me, her eyes full of affection...for me.

Yes, I was most definitely fucked, because I knew, absolutely fuckin' _knew_, that I would do anything in my power to keep my Betta by my side for eternity...whether she agreed to it or not. After all, eternity is a very long time to hold a grudge.

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Sorry for the wait for this chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews on last chapter, they have been a bright spot for me during a really trying time. You all rock!


	7. Chapter 7

My kids start school in two days so updates should come a lot quicker from now on. Thanks for all your reviews and PMs, you have no idea how much they mean to me. Special thanks to Tobey for helping me get through the last month, and pushing me to continue my writing.

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**Peter POV**

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I smiled at my human girl's light snores as I pulled into the mile-long driveway that led to my cabin. It had been a long ride and Betta had been asleep for the last few hours of it.

Of course, that was only after she had insisted we stop at a 'fast food' restaurant. I had tried my damnedest to get her to go inside and eat but she was having none of it. So the drive-thru it was, which meant that I spent the last six hours of the trip home smelling the rancid scent of McDonalds' burnt hamburger meat and greasy french fries.

After only a few minutes, I was seriously resisting the urge to hang my head out the window and pant at the fresh air like a dog. Thankfully, I resisted the temptation, placating myself by cracking the window slightly and not breathing. Betta had smirked at me, and by that one fucking look, I was certain that she knew exactly what the fuck-awful smell was doing to my poor nose...and she thought it was funny as hell.

I chuckled at the memory as I eased the truck into park in front of my home...our home. Bella stirred slightly and groggily looked out the window. Her eyes went wide and she stared in shock at my cabin. I watched her for a moment, wondering what had caused this reaction.

"That's your cabin?" she finally asked, two minutes and forty-nine seconds later. I snorted.

"Yes," I answered shortly, half-way offended. What did she find so wrong with my home?

"It's just so...small," she breathed, almost in awe. What a strange, strange creature my Betta was.

"It's not that small," I said defensively, gazing up at my home affectionately. Sure, it wasn't big by any means, but it was nice and homey and more house than a vampire like me needed. I was very happy here.

Before I had time to ponder on it any more, Betta reached over and turned my truck off, grabbed the keys, and was up and out of the truck, running towards the porch at full human speed. I sighed and shook my head. Strange human, indeed.

I slowly made my way towards her, chuckling quietly as she grew more and more frustrated with each key that didn't fit the lock on the door. After six more tries, she squealed with glee as she finally found the correct key and the door popped open.

I felt oddly shy as she walked from room to room, inspecting my home for the first time. I glanced around with her, trying to imagine how she was seeing my humble abode. From the comfortable and well-worn sofa in the living room, to the small futon in the bedroom that held a ratty old quilt that had once been stitched by my mother's hands, she saw it all. I was a simple man and my home reflected that fact. I was suddenly very nervous about her reaction.

"Wow," she finally said as we entered the living room once more. "It's...perfect. I love it."

I cocked an eyebrow and stared at her in disbelief. Was she being sarcastic? She sounded like she was being honest, but...

"I thought you said it was small?"

"It is, and that's part of the reason why I like it. It's so nice and homey...not at all like the huge, ostentatious house that the other vamp-" she cut herself off. A small pause and then she continued. "Not at all like I was expecting a vampire to live in." She walked over to the sofa and plopped down ungracefully, grinning widely as she did so.

"I really, really like it," she said again. "I just feel like I can actually enjoy being here. I'm not worried about accidently moving something out of it's precious little place."

I smiled as I noticed the bitter bite of her last words. Somewhere along her short life, she had met and accompanied a vampire to their home...and she found it huge, unpersonal, and lacking. My smile grew wider- my human girl enjoyed the simple pleasures in life as well.

"Tell me more about yourself. What happened after you arrived in Spoons?" I murmured as I sat down beside her, purposely using the wrong town name just to hear the giggle it caused. Before she had fallen asleep on the way here, she had told me all about her childhood with her flighty mother. She had continued her tale all the way until her mother had remarried and she decided to go live with her father to give her mother and Phil more time to spend together. So selfless, my Betta.

"It was Forks," she chuckled softly. "I met Charlie at the airport and he brought me home in his cruiser, which was embarrassing at the time. He's the chief of police...at least, he was." A haunted look passed over her face and she literally shook herself before she started speaking again.

"It was nice spending time with him. He couldn't cook at all," she whispered with a small smile and shiny eyes. "The man couldn't boil water without burning it. He loved to fish, which meant that I cooked fish for him at least once a week. The deep freeze was always full of it."

"What happened to him?" I asked softly after she had been quiet a few minutes. Her expressive eyes seemed to go dead, the vast nothingness behind them was fathomless.

"He died." She spoke sharply, clearly letting me know that the subject was off limits. I nodded my head slightly in acceptance and tentatively placed my hand on her arm, just below the thick bracelet that she was wearing. Bella's eyes met my own and I silently bore witness to the tears that were streaming down her face.

"It was all my fault," she whimpered. And then she completely broke down. Sobs racked her trembling body as she gasped raggedly for air. I did the only thing I could think to do; I scooped her up and sat her in my lap, wrapping my arms around her and just holding her as she continued to sob. I slowly ran my hands up and down her back in what I hoped was a comforting gesture.

I didn't know what else to do for her. I felt totally helpless. It was a feeling that I knew all too well, and I simply loathed it. I should just drain this little human girl and be done with all the grief that she was sure to bring me. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, my whole being rebelled against it. I tightened my arms around my Betta, for that was what she was..._mine_.

I had never felt like this before. Something odd was pulling in my chest and I didn't know what was happening anymore. I felt like I was losing control of something inside me and to be brutally honest, I wasn't too sure if I liked it. In fact, I was pretty damn sure that I did not like it at all...although, it was oddly pleasant in a way. It felt as if a part of me had been ripped away and yet, at the same time, I felt as if I was finally complete. I was so confused.

Bella was still sobbing into my chest, completely unaware of the turmoil that was tearing me apart. I both felt the need to hold and comfort her, and the need to sink my teeth into her delicate little neck and finally end this suffering. What in hell was wrong with me?

I sat her back on the sofa as gently as I could, each of my movements feeling stiff and robotic. I launched myself out the door and to my truck, grabbing the bottle of sleeping pills out. I quickly shook one into my hand and grabbed Bella's bottle of water from the cup holder. In an instant I was back before her, my hands extended out in a silent offering.

She took the pill without question, grabbing the water and swiftly swallowing it down. Her eyes so full of grief met my own, and I was once again lost in the conflicting feelings that were raging through my body. I really needed to go feed.

I forced back the urge to chomp on her juicy little neck and gathered my Betta in my arms. I rocked her gently for a time as her trembling and sobbing slowly eased and tapered off. She mumbled a sleepy apology before she finally closed her eyes and let the darkness take her.

Strangely enough, I felt better as well. The unsettling pull was still there, but it no longer held the blustering force that it had only hours ago. Was this simply the price of staying in the presence of a human for a prolonged amount of time? Yes, I finally decided. That was what had happened. I simply needed to feed.

I continued to tell myself this as I gently laid my Betta down and covered her with my mother's quilt. I slipped out the cabin's door to go hunting, still trying to silence the little voice in the back of my mind that was screaming that this was no simple hunger pain.

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So, yeah, Peter's a confused little vampire. What, oh what, could that strange pull be...


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews :) Glad to see that I still have some readers left, lol. As always, special thanks to my wifey for pre-reading. So today was the first day of school and it was wonderful. It was just me and my one year old at home and I actually got to sit down and write without having to stop every five minutes to referee a fight between my older boys. I bow down to the awesomeness that is public education (although I wasn't saying that when I had to get up at six this morning)!**_

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**Peter POV**

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It had been a week since Bella had broken down and she still hadn't quite snapped out of it yet. She was sleeping an average of eighteen hours a day, and when she _was_ awake, she was very melancholy and detached. I had tried everything that I could think of, even going as far as fuckin' learning to cook homemade mushroom ravioli because she said it was one of her favorite dishes.

It took many, many hours and failed attempts, but I finally got it right. All my hard work actually paid off, as I was rewarded with a genuine smile from my Betta. She made herself a bowl and ate the whole thing. Despite the kitchen being fully stocked with food from one of our grocery runs, it was the first time that she had eaten anything in nearly three days. I have to admit that it made me feel good to know that I had procured and prepared the food for her to eat.

I made the same dish for her every afternoon, and it was still the only thing that she would eat. I had been working on perfecting a lasagna recipe that I had found, but unfortunately it was still coming out of the oven half raw yet half burnt. I had no fuckin' clue just how hard preparing human food was. It sure as shit wasn't as simple as a quick nom-nom to the neck.

I was sitting on the couch with my arms wrapped around my Betta, her back to my chest, as I told her another story from my long life. We had spent hours getting to know each other, however we were both very careful to stick to light topics and humorous stories. It was one of the only times that she seemed to actually pay attention and care about something.

I had actually been surprised the first time that Bella had climbed into my lap and asked me to tell her a story. It was the day after her breakdown and when she finally woke up, she had sat up and climbed directly into my lap. She had then used her arms to wrap my own around her waist as she snuggled back into my chest and wrapped the ragged old quilt around the both of us. I couldn't decide if it was heaven or hell as the conflicting needs that my earlier feeding hadn't taken care of surged once again in my chest. With a great effort, I forced the feelings down and simply enjoyed the feel of her warmth. That was the first time that she asked me to tell her a story about my life.

I smiled softly at the memory and opened my eyes to find Bella staring up at me questioningly.

"I was just thinking about the first story I told you," I murmured.

"The one where Jasper convinced you that vampires could still get drunk and you ended up sick off your ass for days with no buzz to show for it?" she snickered. I scowled at her and playfully ruffled her hair. Just as I opened my mouth to respond, my cell phone rang. I directed my scowl towards the noisy piece of plastic and sighed.

"Speak." I heard Betta snicker and couldn't help but wink at her.

"M-Mr. P-Petros?" I heard a shaky male voice stutter. I sighed as I recognized the voice as Andy.

I had first found Andy when I had searched out my family line and found that he was the only living relative that I had left. His parents had died in a car wreck when he was still in high school and he'd started using drugs as a way to cope with the pain. By the time I had located him, he had shot up all his inheritance money and was living in a dingy hotel room with a few other junkies.

I ate well that day.

By the time it was all over, Andy was a wide-eyed sniveling wreck crouched down in the corner of the room. I walked over to him, blood still running down my chin, and told him that the only use I had for junkies, was exactly that-junk food. I also told him that I would be abhorrent to end the last living member of my family line, but if he continued with the fuckin' heroine I would have no other choice. No second chance would be given to him.

He's been clean for well over a year. Fear is a very powerful motivator.

I set him up with an apartment, a cheap car, and a job as a handyman fixing the shit that went wrong with the various office buildings that I owned in Minnesota. I supposed that was the reason for the call.

"What can I do for you, Andy?" I asked with a heavy sigh. He only called when the problem was something major or expensive.

"T-There's been a p-problem with the office building in Brooklyn Park. This morning I received numerous phone calls reporting a strange...m-meowing...in the walls." Bella, who had leaned in close enough to hear Andy's words, snorted loudly.

"I see. And did you investigate this strange...meowing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as my Betta giggled.

"Y-Yes sir, I did. It seems that a cat managed to get into the walls s-somehow."

"And can the cat not find its own way out? Surely with enough persistence you could pinpoint the area that the cat used to enter the building and seal it off once the cat had vacated the premises?" I asked, trying to suppress a chuckle as I laid it on thick. Bella was full out laughing now, and she had to put a lot of effort into quieting down so she could hear Andy's next words.

"W-Well you see, sir, t-that's not the problem." Bella and I looked at each other. We were both grinning widely, eagerly awaiting Andy's next words.

"I located the s-small hole that the cat used to enter the building. Fixing that is no big deal. The p-problem is that the cat decided to have her k-kittens inside the w-walls."

I laughed, I damn well couldn't help it. Betta was cracking up beside me as well, clutching at her stomach as she guffawed. As I watched her laugh more in that moment than she had in the last week combined, I decided that I was going to give Andy a huge fuckin' raise for this, even if he didn't personally have a hand in the cat's choice of birthing location.

"M-Mr. Petros?" Andy tentatively stuttered. I opened my mouth to tell him to just cut the wall open and get them out, but my Betta raised a hand up to stop me.

"How far away is it from here?" she finally asked, after she had calmed down slightly. I raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"Less than an hour."

"Can we go? Please? I want to see them!" she exclaimed. She trained her big, hopeful doe eyes on me and I smiled and nodded my head in acceptance. Like I would ever deny her anything.

And that is how I found myself the (not so) proud new owner of four very noisy, and very smelly, felines. Oh the things I do for. . .Betta.

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Yes, I know this is a short chapter, but I really need help naming the kittens. Any suggestions? My naming muse seems to have taken a long walk off a short pier...although I do believe I will name one of the female kittens Diddle, lol :D


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. They truly make my day :) **_

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_**I admit that I have absolutely no medical knowledge about the workings of cancer. This is a fictional story and the info in it is based upon what I could google. If it's medically incorrect, which I am positive that it probably is, I apologize in advance. Just try to roll with me ;)**_

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**Peter POV**

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"What the hell was wrong with that guy?" Bella asked as we made our way back towards our cabin. She was sitting with a big cardboard box on her lap, absently stroking the kittens fur as we talked.

"Who, Andy?" I asked, smiling innocently at her. She looked at my face and snorted loudly.

"Yes, Andy. Gah, what did you do to that poor man. I seriously thought he was going to piss himself when you went to shake his hand." I chuckled darkly.

"Andy...well, let's just say that Andy can see the bigger picture a whole lot clearer since meeting me." Betta stared at me doubtfully.

"Okay. And just how did he come to see this so called 'bigger picture'?"

"He used to be a junkie. I helped him get clean and back on his feet again...gave him a job." Looking at Bella's face, I could tell just what a crock of shit she thought my words were.

"Killed him with kindness, did ya? Is that why the poor man broke out in a sweat at just the sight of you? Cuz for some reason, I just can't see him being scared shitless over you being such a helpful guy." I sighed resignedly.

"Well, I reckon there may have been just a bit more to it than that," I drawled slowly, trying to think of a nice way to say that I'd turned his hotel room, along with the people inside it, into my own personal buffet. In the end, I gave up on that thought and simply told my Betta the whole story.

"So let me get this straight," she laughed. "You hunted down and stalked the poor guy and then, once you found him, you killed and ate three of his friends while he watched?"

"It does sound bad when you put it like that," I agreed mildly, though I couldn't help a small twitch of my lips as I tried my damnedest not to smirk.

"Uh-huh. I just bet it does. And just how exactly would you 'put it', as you say, that would make it _not_ sound like you went all postal on their asses?" She didn't even bother to try and hide her grin.

"I would love to go all 'postal' on _your_ ass," I muttered before I could stop myself. Bella's face ignited in a mouth-watering (literally) blush that caused her whole face to flush beautifully. I gave her a smug smirk in return and chuckled when she suddenly found the scenery out her window interesting.

"Thank you for letting me keep the kittens," she said fourteen minutes later. "I haven't had a pet in a really long time...well, unless you count the werewolves and they really weren't all that much fun."

"Werewolves?" I roared, damn near swerving into the other lane of oncoming traffic. Bella gave me her own smug smile as she reached up to her neck and absently started rubbing the necklace around it.

"Did I mention that I was a supernatural danger magnet? Cuz, yeah, I so am."

I took a deep, unneeded breath and counted to fifty to try and calm myself. It didn't work.

"And just how do you know about the children of the moon, Bella? They aren't exactly known for their control," I gritted out from between my clenched teeth.

"The ones I knew never had that much of a problem with their control," she said with a frown. "When they first phased, they had to be careful for a little while because their change is triggered by strong emotions, but after they gained control, they were all just big puppy dogs...Okay- really, really, _really_ big, but still just puppy dogs."

"Puppy dogs?" I sputtered in disbelief, my eyes wide and my teeth bared. "You were around them when they were in their wolfman form?"

"Wolfman?" she chuckled. "They didn't turn into wolfman or men or whatever you want to call it. They turned into actual wolves. Ginormous wolves, yes, but wolves all the same. It's not like they only transform at the full moon and go on killing rampages where they can't remember doing so afterwards."

I was left momentarily speechless because that was _exactly_ what werewolves did. There was no way that she could have met actual children of the moon, but I didn't doubt the honestly of her words. Hmm...shape-shifters, perhaps? Very rare but then again, so are true werewolves. Caius made sure of that long ago.

"So these...werewolves...retain their human selves while they are in wolf form? And they can change any time that they want to, but are not forced to change during the full moon?"

"Yep. They also have some kind of pack mind while they are phased. My old best friend got pissed once when he saw, through the pack mind, that Paul was giving me a ride on his back. Jacob lost his shit over that one and ended up breaking Paul's leg. It was funny as hell though because Paul ended up biting off a chunk of Jacob's little toe. They might have extraordinary healing, but once it's gone, it ain't coming back. Serves him right, the bastard."

"On his back," I muttered slowly. "You climbed on the back of a giant volatile wolf and took a joy ride? A giant volatile wolf who likes to bite pieces off of his pack mates?"

"Oh, don't have a conniption," she mumbled. "It was perfectly safe. Besides, Jacob was just being a jealous asshole. And who really _needs_ their little toe, anyway. Paul was just trying to cheer me up. I was in a bad way and Paul helped me to feel better for a while."

I couldn't quite hold back my growl as I imagined all the ways that Paul could have helped my Betta 'feel better'. Fuckin' wolves.

The cats, which had temporarily been quiet, started meowing like crazy when they heard my growl. I gave Bella a sheepish look as she scowled at me while she tried to settle the vermin back down. Still, I couldn't quite get her last sentence out of my head.

"So he helped you _feel_ better, did he?" It slipped out before I could stop myself, so I did the only thing I could and owned up to it. I stared at Bella as she looked at me like I was crazy for a moment before her eyes went wide in understanding and she blushed an even darker red than ever before.

"We never...I didn't...I mean...Oh, hell I'm still a virgin!" she finally blurted, immediately going even redder, which I honestly didn't think was even remotely fuckin' possible, and throwing both hands across her mouth.

"Speak no evil," I murmured, my whole face splitting into what could only be described as a shit-eatin' grin. She was pure. My Betta was untouched...as she should be. My cock was throbbing hard and I had to force my thoughts away from pulling the truck over and deflowering her right there on the side of the road. I shook my head sharply, hoping to shake some fuckin' sense back into myself. What the hell was wrong with me lately?

"Oh fuckerdoodles, I so did not mean to just blurt that shit out," Bella moaned, burying her face in her hands. And then she raised her face up and stared at me, her eyes pleading. "Subject change, _please_."

I gave her a soft smile, biting back the clever retort that was sure to embarrass her even further. Besides, I had more pressing questions that I wanted answers to while Bella was in such a talkative mood.

"Why did you need the mutt to cheer you up?" I asked her, wondering if it had anything to do with her father's death. I was fuckin' dying to ask about the other vampire that had been in her life before she met me, but I knew that if I pushed her too hard she would clam up again.

"His name is Paul, not mutt," Betta informed me in a scolding tone, but the grin on her face told me that she was amused by my words. "I had already been diagnosed with cancer at that point, and I had lost the support of my mother and Jacob, who had been my best friend before all the shit hit the fan. Anyway, Paul was kinda the outcast in the pack, so he knew what it was like to feel like you're all alone in the world. So, he came over to my house and offered to let me ride him...which was actually really fuckin' awkward," she laughed.

"What happened between you and your mother and Jacob? Where was your father at during all this?" _Where was the illusive fuckin' vampire that you're so damned tight-lipped about?_

"You have to understand something here," she started, her gaze trained on the scenery that was rolling by us. "I was going through some rough shit even before I found out about the cancer. I had already started to alienate myself from all the people I cared about. I didn't mean to at the time, I just...I felt like my life was over and all that was left of me was an empty shell." She paused and got a far-away look in her eyes before she forced herself to continue.

"That's a story for another time, though. I found out about the werewolves and the pack because of Jacob. I felt so fucking guilty that a group of teenage boys were out there risking their lives all because they were trying to protect me." I had to cut her off there, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Protect you from what?" I asked her softly, reaching over and giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"From your kind." Bella chuckled wryly. "I apparently smell pretty yum-yum. I might attract the supernatural to me, but that doesn't mean that they all like me once they find me. Must be my charming personality."

"I just so happen to _like_ your charming personality." I gave her a smile before I got serious once again. "So the werewolves are all teenage boys? And they helped to protect you?"

"Yes to both. Anyway, Jake was supposed to take me cliff diving. There are some...tiny little cliffs on the Res. that the pack jump off of for fun. I went to his house to pick him up, but his Dad told me he was out hunting the vampire because they'd picked up a fresh scent. I ended up going to the beach by myself."

"Right," I muttered darkly. "So you went and jumped off this 'tiny' cliff by yourself, did you?" Stupid, stupid human. Didn't she know how invaluable her life was? She was much too precious to be doing stupid shit like cliff diving!

"No, actually I never made it. I got really dizzy when I first got to the beach and passed out. Jake found me later, sprawled out over a piece of driftwood that had washed ashore. I was still unconscious at the time.

"I awoke later that night in the hospital. I had passed out because I had anemia, which we later found out was actually caused in-part by the cancer. Like I said earlier, I was already going through a rough time. I had noticed the fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches, and being cold constantly, of course, but I had just attributed them to the...rough time that I had been going through.

"I was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks later after a whole fuckload of scans and tests. There's some big, long technical name for the kind of cancer that I have, but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. I guess I was in shock or something, because the only thing I remember from that particular doctor's appointment was that I had a malignant brain tumor and had apparently had it for a while, it was inoperable, and that I was given four to six months to live. Actually, I'm almost positive that I was in shock because I remember the only thought I had at the time was that at least I had an excuse for my extreme balance issues."

"And just how long ago did this appointment take place?" I asked, trying to stay calm though the feeling of dread was festering and growing within me.

"A few weeks," she murmured, casting her eyes down towards the kittens.

"How many is a few, Bella?" I ground out through clenched teeth.

"You know...a few. Leave it alone, Peter." She still wouldn't meet my eyes.

"How. Many?" I growled loudly, loosing the careful control that I had built within myself. What was it with this girl that she tests my control so?

"Twelve weeks, okay? It's been twelve fucking weeks!" she shouted, finally lookin' up at me. "Is that what you wanted to hear, Peter? That I've only got a month or two left to live?"

Three months. Three fuckin' months of the four to six month estimate had already passed. That meant that I had less than a month to convince Bella to become a vampire willingly before I took matters into my own hands, er..teeth, and turned her anyway. Fuck it all if I was goin' to let her go now.

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_**My sons second birthday party is this weekend so I probably won't be able to update again until Monday or Tuesday. See ya then...**_


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews/faves/alerts! You all rock. Special thanks to my wifey for all her help and for putting up with my cranky ass this past week.

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The last few days have officially been shit. My cat got its paw ran over, which equals a huge ass vet bill. My central air conditioner went out (and is still out) during the hottest summer that Oklahoma has ever seen. Seriously people, we have had 55 straight days of temps over 100 degrees and its not cooling down anytime soon. It's frickin' hot! And to top off the fuckery that is my life, I ended up slipping a disc in my back over the weekend, which just so happened to push up against my sciatic nerve which resulted in me being in constant pain on the left side of my lower body and being damn near unable to walk for four days. I am slowly getting better, but I still can't straighten my back all the way. Thank God for strong pain pills and my family who helped me out.

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I honestly don't know where this chapter came from. I sat down to write and this is what I ended up with, so this is what you get, lol. Some of the lines used are directly from SM's work. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Edward's POV**

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The phone in my pocket vibrated again. It was the thirty-second time in the last five hours. I thought about opening the phone, at least seeing who was trying so hard to contact me. Perhaps it was important. Maybe Carlisle needed me.

I thought about it briefly, but still I did not move.

I wasn't entirely sure where I was. Some dark abandoned building, full of rats and spiders. The spiders ignored me and the rats gave me a wide berth. The air was thick with the stench of rot and decay; an animal had died somewhere nearby recently.

I was thankful for the reprieve from the voices, both spoken and mental. There was no one else around for miles...no one who could witness my complete and utter agony. I had no idea how long I had been here, hiding in the shadows...hiding from a lot of things. Time had no concept here in my sea of misery.

I closed my eyes and, like always, Bella's smiling face was there to greet me. And like always, I forced my tired mind to pull up the last image of Bella that I had, the one from our last talk in the forest. It was my penance to bear witness. Now her beautiful face was pulled into lines of misery, her big brown eyes wide in pain. I had done this to her. I had caused the anguish that was so thickly spread across her features.

What I wouldn't give to be the one to wipe it away. I could do it, leave right now...go back to her. But, no, I couldn't do that to her. Not when I had promised that I wouldn't haunt her life again.

Then again, I had made so many promises to her that I had already broken. _What's one more..._

NO! Damn it, no. I would not let my thoughts trail down that path...not again.

Because in those thoughts lay danger, as I damn well already knew. It had been only a short time since I had last let those thoughts invade my mind. Before I knew it, I had found myself stepping off a plane in Washington.

Once I had regained control of my treacherous mind, I forced myself to turn right back around and book another flight out of the country. I had been so damn close to her that I could practically feel it, feel _her_. I almost talked myself into staying...into going back to Forks just to check on her. I told myself that she would never even have to know.

But, thankfully, my flight was called and I forced my feet to move me onto the plane before I suffered from another loss of control. Bella deserved better than a soulless demon. She deserved so much more than I could ever give her.

My phone vibrated again.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," I growled. Something must be wrong.

I flipped the phone open and stared at the last set of numbers that I had expected to see. Why would Rosalie be calling me? Surely she wasn't calling simply to gloat. No, something must be very wrong, indeed. I quickly hit the accept button.

"What's wrong?" I forced out, my voice sounding raspy from disuse.

"It's Alice. Something's wrong with her, Edward! You have to come home. Please," Rose choked out, a ragged sob tearing from her throat. I was already up and running towards the nearest airport.

"What's happened, Rose?" I spoke loudly so I could be heard over the wind that I was racing through.

"We don't know! She locked herself in her room three days ago saying that she needed to concentrate. You know how she gets sometimes. We thought she was just trying to find you again. She's been doing that a lot lately.

"We all went hunting, even Jasper, and we didn't get home until last night. We found her sitting on the floor in the middle of the library, phone clutched in one hand, arms wrapped around her knees as she rocked herself back and forth mumbling 'No' over and over again. Carlisle's medical journals were strewn everywhere, strung out over every inch of the floor."

"What?" I murmured, mostly to myself. None of this was making any sense.

"She won't talk, Edward. She's not even responsive. Her eyes have the glazed look like she's having a vision, but it's there constantly. She doesn't even notice when we move her!"

"I'm on my way," I said tersely. I moved the phone away from my ear and was just starting to close it when I heard Rose's quiet whisper.

"T-There's more, Edward." I immediately shoved the piece of plastic back to my ear and growled my response.

"What more could there possibly be, Rose?"

"We were able to redial the last number that Alice called," she said quietly, her voice strangely unsure.

"And?" I growled, wanting her to get to the point already.

"It was Bella's number, Edward. She called Bella." The phone disintegrated in my hand.

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So...yeah. What'd you think about them apples?


	11. Chapter 11

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**: : : : : Throws up image of Fail Whale : : : : :**

Yes, I know that I have been a major fail at updates lately. No, I'm not giving up on my stories, but I do have a real life, as crappy as it's been lately. I've been trying to piece back together the shamble of my marriage, which is extremely hard to do when it feels like I'm the only one trying. But, I digress.

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That's not to say that I haven't been writing, I just haven't been writing on this story. I haven't been in the right frame of mind to write this story the way I want it, which probably shows in this chapter that I forced out. I had meant for this story to be mostly easygoing and humorous but, well, shit happens.

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Special thanks to my boo and to all of you who have stuck with me through the long waits, I am totally in awe of all the positive reviews and well-wishes that I've received. You all are the reason that I write in the first place so, again, I say thanks.

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**..Alice POV..**

The moment the phone disconnected, I jumped to my feet and rushed to retrieve my cell phone, ignoring the astonished gasps coming from my family. I flipped the phone open and dialed the number of the only person who could help me at this point.

"I'm calling in my favor. I need you here before morning." There was a long pause.

"I'm kind of in the middle of something," a soft voice replied. "Is there any way that it can wait a few days?"

"Only if you wish to see your mate ripped to pieces before your eyes, after which the same treatment would be given to you. Only Aro won't be so kind as to toss all your pieces into the flames. How do you feel about spending the rest of eternity as a severed head? One phone call will make it happen. Never forget the debt that you owe me," I growled, turning away from the shocked faces of my family. I wouldn't feel bad about this. I would do anything to protect my family.

"I'll be there before morning," she whispered meekly. I felt the arms of my husband surround me, and smiled as he placed a soft kiss upon my neck. He would always support me, no matter the circumstances. He understood that sometimes hard choices had to be made.

"I hope for your sake that you are, Chelsea." I shut the phone and turned to face my family.

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**..Edward POV..**

If I had been paying more attention, it never would've happened. After all, I am a mind-reader. My only excuse for my inattention was my distraught state-of-mind at the time. That is why I'm currently pinned to the floor by two of my own family members, trying to ignore the pitiful cries for forgiveness from my sister.

My body started to relax without my permission, muscles loosening as my growls died down to nothing. I turned my head and shot a weak glare at the one who was responsible, the one who was also restraining the left side of my body. Jasper grimaced and looked away.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," Alice whispered walking over to me and kneeling by my face. "This was the only way. You have to believe me!"

"Only way for what, exactly?" I let out a growl as Alice's mental singing failed for a moment and a thought of Bella slipped through.

"This was the only way to save you," she said softly. My disbelief must have clearly showed on my face, because Alice shook her head sadly at me and said, "Will you please just trust me on this?"

Another image of Bella floated through her mind, only this time the word 'cancer' was there as well.

"What are you keeping from me? Is Bella sick?" I asked, franticly renewing my struggle to get loose. I froze in shock at the next words out of Alice's mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Edward...Bella is dead." All the fight left me and I slumped to the floor. Bella...my beautiful, kind Bella was...dead?

"How?" I choked out, staring up at my sister through blurry eyes filled with tears that would never fall.

"I decided to check on her. I-I just missed her so much and I figured that it wouldn't hurt just to check on her. I couldn't find her though, no matter how hard I looked. I had hoped that it was just because I hadn't seen her in so long, that maybe I was out of tune with her..."

Her words trailed off, but I continued to watch the scenes play out in her head. Alice hacking into the hospital's computer system, finding out that Bella had been admitted due to anemia and then referred to a specialist for more tests. Alice hacking into the specialist's computers and finding out that Bella had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor three months ago and had denied any radiation or chemo treatments. Hours of frantic research using Carlisle's medical journals. And finally, the decision to call Charlie and check on her.

"I ended up calling her, only Charlie didn't answer the phone. I asked to speak to Charlie and was told me that he had been killed by a bear. After getting over my shock, I told him that I was a cancer specialist and that I thought I could help Bella...only to be told that it was too late to help her because she was gone, too."

I never thought that any pain could be worse than the pain of the change, but I was proven wrong in that moment. I let out a grief-filled scream as I realized that I would never see my beautiful Bella's face again, never get to hold her fragile form in my arms. How could I ever live in a world without her?

I quieted down as I came to the realization that I wouldn't...couldn't. I could not live in a world without her. I felt a sort-of peaceful resolve settle over me as I made the only decision that I could. Soon, I would join my Bella in the afterlife. My mind immediately started running over scenarios, quickly dismissing the crazier ones until I was left with only one choice. The Volturi.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I can't allow you to do that to yourself," Alice said softly. I snapped my head up and stared at her as a hundred visions of my death danced through her head. I gasped as another vision played, one of me and the family sometime in the future.

"My gift is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes decisions have to be made that not everyone will agree with. In the end, I always do what is best for my family. You may not agree with me right now, Edward, but in time you will come to see that I am only doing this because I love you. I'm only doing what's best for us all."

"You didn't..." I murmured in disbelief, even as I picked up a new mental signature making its way towards the house.

"Two months ago she called me begging me to help her. Aro had finally had enough of Afton's attitude and ordered Demetri to dispose of him during the next mission and to report it back that he had died in battle. Luckily for Afton, Chelsea overheard Aro's plans and called me to help her make plans of her own." Alice stopped at that, but it didn't matter as the memories were playing through the new arrivals mind. Demetri was dead and Aro had no way of tracking either Afton or Chelsea.

"And now I'm repaying the debt," Chelsea said, walking into the room.

"No. NO! Don't do this, Alice, please!" I cried out, finally realizing Alice's plan and just what Chelsea was here to do.

"Bonds are created and destroyed every day, Edward. You will still have your memories of her, this will simply take away the pain associated with them," Chelsea murmured as she kneeled down and held her small hand inches away from my face. I renewed my struggles to try and get up but it was no use.

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered as Chelsea closed her eyes and lowered her hand to my face.

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**Yeah, so this didn't turn out how I envisioned it. Meh. It is what it is and all that jazz.**


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews and well-wishes. I truly have the best readers on FF! Special thanks to Tobey, Autumn, and Mynxi for all their help on this chapter!_

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_Also a super big thanks to kryswalt, mynxi, and rubiconqueen for their cat names! Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions, and I hope you enjoy the ones that I have chosen. Leave me a review and let me know! I wonder if you'll understand the meaning behind the last one. . . _

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**...Peter POV...**

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The rest of the ride home was quiet, both of us lost in our own gloomy thoughts after Betta's outburst. It was another three days before she opened up to me again.

"Are you going to help me name them?" she asked as she petted the meowing monstrosities.

"Sure. We can name them Odor, Smelly, Stinky, and ShooShit," I told her with a chuckle. She laughed and mock slapped my arm.

"They aren't _that_ bad. Especially since you installed the kitty door." Ah, the damned kitty door.

Let me just tell you now, my vampire senses plus a smelly litter box equals a very unhappy Peter. We were only home thirty-two minutes before I figured that shit out. Thankfully the mother cat wasn't a complete idiot because when I relocated the shitty box to the backyard and then punched a hole in the bottom of my back door, the cat happily ran right outside and used it. Betta, however, wasn't quite as pleased with me. She insisted I go to the store and buy a kitty door.

Does one lose man-points for having a kitty door? Because the man at Lowes sure thought it funny when I asked him where they were located. Well, until I growled at him, that is. And, yeah, shitting yourself in public loses a lot more man-points than buying a kitty door.

"Pretty Peter?" Bella said softly, drawing me back to the present. I was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, Betta in my lap with a cat-bed full of meowers in hers. I sighed exaggeratedly.

"I'll name one of them if you name the other three," I finally told her, looking away from the big brown eyes that she knew how to widen just-so to get whatever she wanted from me. I could practically feel my balls shriveling up, falling off, and jumping onto a silver platter with Betta's name on it.

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning up to place a kiss to my cheek. I smiled as I felt her warm lips linger on my cool skin. Balls be damned, this was so worth it. She finally pulled away, a blush igniting her face. She glanced back down at the kittens and pointed to the black and white one.

"You can name the boy." I grimaced at the reminder of what she'd done to find out their sexes. Even I had to admit that it was strikingly clear that 'ol blackie was indeed a male. I let out a dark chuckle as I came up with the perfect name.

"Rodzilla," I said with a smirk. My Betta blushed and shook her head, muttering what sounded like, "Ain't that the truth." She smiled up at me beautifully.

"Okay, so he can be Rodzilla. I think I'm going to name the momma cat Twilight. And this little one," she continued, pointing to the almost solid black girl, "this one I'm going to call Eclipse."

"Let me guess, the solid white one is going to be named Dawn?" I chuckled. She turned a very cute scowl towards me and shook her head.

"No, she's special. She's already been pushing her brother and sister off the nipple. She's going to be a little hellion," Betta informed me tartly, and I tried my damnedest to ignore my inner-teenager that wanted to squeal like a fangirl because Bella said the word nipple. "I also think she has multiple personality disorder. She can go from sweet and loving to biting mean in seconds." I groaned loudly, all former nipple thoughts dissuaded. My Betta was truly crazy.

"So just what do we name the handicap kitten?" I asked cautiously. No doubt my human girl would surprise me.

"Norman," she said simply, reaching down to pet...Norman, the white _female_ cat. I snorted, loudly.

"Norman? Are you serious?" She scowled at me and I couldn't help but chuckle at her. I was just about to ask her how on Earth she came up with the name, when she completely blind-sighted me with her next words.

"I refused chemo," she murmured, not meeting my eyes. I will admit that it took even my capable vampire mind a few seconds to comprehend the abrupt subject change.

"Err...what?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. Eloquence, thy name is _not_ Peter.

"You asked me in the car what happened to make Jacob and Renee abandon me. I refused chemo. The doctors told me that it could possibly extend my time by six months to a year, but I still refused. Jacob and my mother couldn't come to terms with my decision. My mom even tried to force them to do it, but since I'm eighteen, she had no grounds to stand on.

"They looked at it as a betrayal to them, like I actually _wanted_ to be sick and die. They simply couldn't understand that I didn't want to spend my last weeks sick and weak. It seems like I've been weak all my life and I just couldn't fathom putting myself in a position where I'd become even weaker just to live a few more days."

"That sucks," I finally said, leaning down and placing a soft kiss to her neck. She chuckled and leaned back onto me more.

"Yeah, it did. Me and Renee had a big fight and she basically washed her hands of me. She told me that she was pregnant again and that she would be sure and do right by her new kid so it wouldn't turn out like me. I know that she really didn't mean it, but it still hurt. She apologized several times for the comment, but once something like that is said, it can never really be unsaid, ya know? "

"Want me to go eat her for you?" I growled playfully, even though I was quite serious with the offer. She smiled and gave me another kiss, this one just to the left of my lips. I couldn't help the small growl that escaped me, or the sudden saluting of my soldier. Bella blushed, but made no move to leave my lap.

"No, no eating the kinfolk," she said with a mock glare. "We made up the best we could, I suppose. I ended up growing extremely close to my father during those months, which I am truly grateful for. Before I left, I pretty much said my goodbyes to everyone who still meant anything to me. In a way, finding out that I had cancer was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It snapped me out of the 'poor me' mood I was in and helped me to see that I still had people who loved and cared about me in my life. It's kind of ironic when you think about it; finding out that I was dying gave me the will to want to live again."

"Betta..." I hesitated, not really wanting to risk her closing up again. In the end, though, I still had to ask. "What happened to your father?"

"Victoria happened," she finally answered, sixteen minutes and thirty-three seconds later. I silently held her, hoping she'd say more but not willing to push her anymore just yet.

"I told you that the wolves were trying to protect me from one of your kind. Her name is Victoria. To say that she doesn't like me, is like saying the Titanic was a dinghy. Her hatred of me knows no bounds. She blames me for her mate's death. She'd been trying to get to me for months, every since Ed-" she stopped there and a strange look overtook her face before she shook her head and continued. "Every since Edward left, but the wolves stopped her every time."

I did a mental fist pump. I finally had the bastards name. Edward. I filed it away to think upon later, since she was still speaking.

"When I think about it, she really was an idiot for a while. When she finally wised up, it was my Dad who payed the ultimate price. You see, the wolves always caught her because they patrolled the woods around Forks. No one ever expected her to steal a car and drive right up to my house, but that is exactly what she did..." Bella trailed off, closing her eyes as tears trailed silently down her face.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, tightening my hold on her and pressing her even closer to me. I racked my brain, trying to think of something, _anything_, to lighten the mood.

"I made the Lowe's worker shit himself after he questioned my man-card," I finally blurted, watching as Bella's eyes widened as she stared up at me the best she could with us being so close together.

"You didn't," she breathed, trying to hold back a laugh. I smiled down at her.

"I did. I believe my last words to the man were 'Kitty door trumps shitting yourself for man-points anyday, fucker.' I will admit that I got quite a few odd stares after that statement. I might not have spoken it as quietly as I could have."

"Oh Peter," Bella groaned, finally losing the battle and letting out her chuckles. After a minute she quieted and we just sat together in silence, aside from the occasional meow.

"I was in school. Charlie was only home because he'd forgotten something there and went to get it. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Victoria killed him and the wolves had to stage it to make it look like a bear attack."

She paused for a moment before saying softly, "And then the bitch came to his funeral and described to me, in exquisite detail, just how she murdered my father."

I started to growl lowly, surprised when Bella had absolutely no reaction to it at all.

"She showed up at his funeral and there wasn't a thing that I could do about it. Most of the pack was there as well but, then again, so was most of the whole town. Too many witnesses, so we were forced to endure her, _I _was forced to let her stand beside me as they lowered my father into the ground.

"The whole time she was quietly telling me how she tortured him, how he used his last breath to beg her not to hurt me. I must admit, she was quite...creative," Bella said in an emotionless voice, clearly trying to distance herself from her own words.

My steady growl grew louder, and I wanted desperately to say something to comfort her, but I honestly had no words. All I could do was tighten my arms around her and kiss the top of her head, silently offering comfort the only way that I could.

"She hugged me after the service, whispering in my ear the whole time. She told me that she was going to create an army of vampires and wipe the whole county off the map, La Push and the wolves included. When I gasped, horrified, she only laughed and told me that I could stop it if I wanted to...that I could save them all. All I had to do was leave Forks and everyone that I knew behind. She said that she was alone now because of me, so I should be alone too. It was only fair.

"She told me that since she was such a _nice_ person, she'd even give me a few weeks head start before she hunted me down. Oh, but she warned me that every single person I talked to, or came in contact with, would die by her hand. Stupid bitch didn't know that the cancer was already killing me." Bella let out a bitter laugh and then sighed.

"So I packed a small bag, grabbed all the cash that I had, got in my truck and just...drove. The evil bitch was standing by the Forks sign when I drove out of town. She waved at me, just fucking smiled and waved as I drove away from everything and everybody that I had ever known.

"That's how I ended up in Oklahoma and why I figured breaking down by the gun show was fate. I had always planned on killing myself before she found me. There was no way that I was going to give that bitch the satisfaction of being the one to do it. I figure I'll go out on my own terms, not hers."

By that point, my continuous growl had turned into a low roar. My Betta didn't seem to mind, even though she was actually bouncing a little bit in my lap. She just snuggled in closer to me, despite the fact that I had turned her into a human vibrator.

The momma cat had long since taken off, leaving her kittens to fend for themselves against the hostile growling vampire. Bella really should have named her Renee. And even though I was trying my damnedest to focus on the pussies, that damn elusive pull had kicked in once again and it was demanding that I either go find the Victoria bitch and kill her oh-so-slowly or sink my teeth into my Betta's beautiful neck and fix the little fragility issue of her being human.

"Bella," I said through clenched teeth, "I really, really need to go kill something." She looked up at me and I was surprised to see nothing but understanding in her big brown eyes. She untangled herself from my lap and stood up, which only caused me to growl louder with every step she took away from me. The kittens were going batshit, and in all honesty, I wasn't much better.

I forced myself to stand slowly and jerkily made my way to the door. I truly hoped my Betta wasn't a tree hugger, because there was going to be quite a few less of them standing in a couple minutes. I had just opened the door when my human girl spoke.

"Come back to me," she murmured softly. I turned around and saw her standing there, all three kittens in her arms, looking oddly uncertain. I tried my damnedest to give her a grin, but I suspect that it looked more like a grimace.

"Always," I told her seriously, holding her gaze and hoping desperately that she could feel all the emotion packed into that one word. "And always is a very long time for a vampire."

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Has anyone else ever watched Twilight and wondered why Icky Vicky didn't just nom-nom on someone with an suv and then drive her skanky ass to Bella's and munch down? Don't get me wrong, that would have totally disrupted the story, but still...


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